The schedule of the 2020 Major League Baseball (shortened) season was just recently announced. Slated to face off on opening day are the Yankees and the Nationals. The high profile Gerrit Cole will make his New York Yankees debut versus the Washington Nationals’ Max Scherzer in Nationals Park on July 23, per Joel Sherman of the NY Post.
The two top tier arms only have faced each other once in their careers which was in Game 1 of the 2019 World Series where Scherzer came out victorious after a hard fought battle.
The Nationals are coming off a remarkable World Series Championship run and look to start the season on a positive note. Meanwhile, the New York Yankees begin their chase for a prestigious 28 championships.
Cole, 29, signed a nine-year, $324-million contract with the Yankees in December, setting a record for the highest paid pitcher in the game. Coming off a pair of All-Star seasons with the Houston Astros, Cole tallied up a 35-10 record with a 2.68 ERA, 602 strikeouts in 413 innings. All odds are in his favor to repeat this level of success.
For Washington, Scherzer, the three-time Cy Young winner looks to continue his elite run and dominance. The right hander showed his own and went 11-7 with a 2.92 ERA in 27 starts last season. The backbone of the Washington Nationals team used his machine-like poise to bring home a title back to the city. There is little doubt he will continue his high level of power.
On July 23, when the two elite arms face off, it should certainly bring highlights upon highlights for fans.
Photo: Mark Brown / Getty Images
